With more than a thousand residents, Cotton Tree is one of the country’s larger villages. But for the past three months, residents have been living without potable water. And that’s happening just 7 miles from the nation’s capital! We were there yesterday and found out why.
Keith Swift Reporting
For three months – faucets in Cotton Tree Village have been like this: empty. The village does have a reservoir and there used to be potable water in Cotton Tree but three months ago it was vandalized. The village council chairman is Florentino Baeza.
Keith Swift,
So what happened why the water stopped working?
Florentino Baeza, Village Chairman
“Well they stole the wire.”
“We are desperately in need to of water and from the water went down, when they stole the wire the second time, up to now no water. The chairlady went to Rural Development to get help. They said, according to she, they said that they only can put $1,500. Then they said Mr. Galvez said he would give them another $1,000 but none of them have come up with anything up to now.”
And while Chairman Baeza has a vat in his yard – this is where residents now go to get water – a hand pump located on a school ground in the village. But that’s unreliable and so most residents end up in this small creek. Yesterday we met Leticia Perez taking a mid-morning bath and doing laundry in the creek. Apart from being a terrible inconvenience – she told us with the aid of a translator that it’s also dangerous.
Leticia Perez, Villager
“It’s affecting us a lot, especially with our children. They have to walk very far to get water.”
Keith Swift,
Does she have to come here everyday?
Leticia Perez,
“Yes we do come everyday. I come everyday and I feel its dangerous as well because I come this far away from my home in this isolated area which is a little risky.”
And while we met Leticia Perez at the creek, Erlinea Ishim and her family returning from it. They complained about the long distance they have to travel to get water.
Erlinea Ishim, Villager
“It’s hard to go wash. I need water to bathe and drink.”
Keith Swift,
Where are you coming from right now?
Erlinea Ishim,
“I am coming from a little creek.”
Frank Blancaneaux whose lived in Cotton Tree Village for 50 years say he can’t make it to the creek because of his health.
Frank Blancaneaux, Villager
“I have asthma and I can’t afford to back bucket. I have to ask my grandchildren to carry water for me and the oldest one is 7 years old. You see how I am breathing right now, I can’t even talk too long and that is pressuring me. I need water to bathe, to drink, and that noh deh.”
There are reports that residents in a number of nearby villages also don’t have potable water.
